Today we’d like to introduce you to Miguel Lopez.
Hi Miguel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, my name is Miguel Andres Lopez Cornieles, and this is the background story of how I got to be where I am now with my company, THE GREAT BUILDERS. On January 2018, I moved to Utah to get to know the state since a dear friend had been telling us about how it was such a calm beautiful state that was in the verge of growing tremendously. At first, my family and I didn’t come with intentions to stay and live here permanently. We had thought to just get to know the state and then return to Venezuela our hometown to finish some pending procedures then use that to move to Argentina and begin a new life. Unfortunately, we couldn’t return to Venezuela due to a dictatorship that has the country torn to pieces, at the same time in Argentina socialism had taken over that same year so with both those difficult situations my wife and I decided to make Utah our new home where we felt safer. With time Utah had become a part of us we fell in love with its valleys, the people, the culture. We had become part of this great state.
Within the first three months of living in Utah my adventure in the construction framing industry had begun. At first, I didn’t think I would grow big in this industry since I had always wanted to continue my profession in Petroleum Engineering as I was doing in Venezuela. Starting from zero in this country was not easy but that was never an obstacle for my goals. I have always been well-disciplined in working hard and staying committed to reach my goals. I had started off as just a helper in the industry, some days I would pick up trash, other days I would be put to cut wood and that was beginning to be my daily routine for a while. Some days were good while others were bad and stressful. Sometimes a change in life isn’t so easy but I have always pushed myself forward no matter how difficult it would get. Within one year of being in the construction industry, an opportunity opened for me to start reading blueprints and help make the scope of work easier for the framers. This opportunity was given to me due to being a great role model employee and always being eager to learn more and more. This opportunity began opening the door to other opportunities with other companies as well. I pushed myself to learn everything fast from the first piece of wood that goes on the foundation to the last piece of framing needed on the roof. I had begun learning all the systems and procedures needed to build apartments, houses, and any type of structure while following city codes. Project after project kept helping my knowledge in the industry grow. Then came the obstacles that occurred with growth, beginning with bosses that didn’t like employee growth so fast due to the fear of having a competition or feeling like it’s not fair that it took them longer while others like myself have been able to do it so quickly. My resolution to that was to keep working day by day into what became my love for framing. In the most difficult moments, I have had the smile of my daughter Alana and the support of my wife Neliana to comfort me and give me strength to push through any obstacle. Within my second year in framing, I was contacted by another company, and I began pushing myself and my limits. I was at that point working for two companies at the same time and after one year of working so hard came the time that my body gave up and I ended up with health issues. At that moment I decided to take one week off to think about myself and my family. I started looking into the possibility of opening my own company to which I named THE GREAT BUILDERS. The reason and meaning behind that name is that in this industry, there are many workers that really are GREAT and are never talked about or mentioned in society, and my duty now as the owner of THE GREAT BUILDERS is to stand up for them and let them know that they are appreciated and acknowledged for all their hard work. It wasn’t easy starting up my company at first, I would start off with little side jobs which then kept me busy all the time even on weekends since I was still working with two other companies while trying to make mine grow. While working so hard, I made sure to still focus on my health. Jorge Mejias has always been there for me in helping me with my projects not only is he such a great friend, but he is the person who gifted me UTAH since the beginning of working together. I never received a NO from him no matter what day even on holidays and weekends as well as during harsh weather conditions he was always willing to be there for me in completing my projects. It was all worth it in the end. One piece of advice I can give all is that with consistency comes reward never give up and always strive to do your best. To this date, I have completed many huge projects with my company. I count on 70 employees, and we keep growing with our feet firm on the ground. I want to keep leaving my footprint in each one of my projects in this beautiful state name UTAH.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The few struggles that have been a part of growing my company have been keeping a positive attitude no matter what. Sometimes work can be overwhelming and f we let it get to you it can have a long-term effect.
As you know, we’re big fans of THE GREAT BUILDERS. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The great builders is a local framing company made of 70 employees who specialize in wood framing. We are known for getting projects done ahead of schedule with safety and quality as our top priority.
What are your plans for the future?
My plan for the future is to keep helping Utah grow by helping build all the real estate that is blooming and growing all over.
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